China says willing to work with U.S. on aluminium market issues

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

BEIJING, July 27 (Reuters) - China’s Ministry of Commerce on Thursday called for a global approach to tackling problems in the aluminium market as it noted the findings of a probe by the United States into the sector.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) released a report in June that examined China’s aluminium market from 2011 to 2015. The report said the country encouraged aluminium production “through low tariffs on imports of raw materials, as well as a variety of programs that provide direct support to aluminium smelters”.

China is the world’s biggest aluminium producer and has been threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump with anti-dumping tariffs on its exports. In April, Trump ordered a probe into U.S. aluminium and steel imports that is still pending.

At a press conference in Beijing, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng dismissed suggestions that the USITC report had accused the Chinese government of “sponsoring” the development of its aluminium industry.

The USITC report attributed the sector’s rapid growth to “constant efforts and continuous technological innovation,” Gao said, adding that China was willing to “join hands” with all aluminium producers, including the U.S., to promote the development of a “healthy and stable” industry.